Hat-forming machine



Jan. 1925 1,523,230 H. o. MARTIN HAT FORMING MACHINE Filed July 27, 1923 J/zzzrziarf 5.1/4??? INVENTOR Patented Jan. 13, 1925,

I-IUMBERT 0. MARTIN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

HAT-FORMING MACHINE. y

Application filed July 27, 1923. Serial No. 654,204.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that HUMBERT O. MARTIN, a citizen of the United States, residing at NewiYork, in the county of New York and "State of New York, has invented new and useful Improvements in Hat-Forming Machine's,"of' which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to hat'forming machines, and has particular reference to a machine for forming the bell-crown of a hat.

The principal object, of the invention is the provision of a hat forming machine, wherein a fanciful bell-crown may be formed upon a one piece hat, simultaneous ly with the forming of the brim, and during the same operation.

Another object ofthe invention is the provision of ahatforming machine including a permanent crown block having a removable el'astie lining and a sealed elastic sack adapted to be compressed against the inner wall of said lining so as to cause the crown of the hat to conform to the configuration of the inner wall of the lining.

A further object of the invention is to provide a' machine of the'type mentioned forsha-ping either a felt or straw hat.

A still further object of the invention is to provide simple and eiiicient means for forming a brim and bell-crown upon a hat, thereby greatly increasing the production and reducing the cost of manufacture.

With these and other objects in view the invention resides in the certain novel construction, combination and arrangement ofpaits, the essential features of which are hereinafter fully described in the specification, are pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawing, in which I Figure 1 is a front elevation of a hat forming machine with my improvement associated therewith.

Figure 2-is a vertical sectional view on the"line-2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of my improved die showing the manner of forming the crown and brim;

Figure l is a detail perspective view of oneof the brim blocksections.

Figure 5 is a detail view of the finished hat after the same has been removed from the machine.

Ithas been a custom of hat manufacturers to form a fanciful bell-crown by placing the crown over a wooden block of a shape desired, after which the hat is pressed or ironed into shape by hand. This necessitates a considerable length of time an dis very slow operation, thus permitting only a limited amount of these hats'to. be inade by an individual in a single working day. It is therefore my intentionto provide aineans whereby the bell cfrown is formed during the brim forming operation thereby increasing the production and greatly reducingum cost of manufacture.

Like characters of reference refer to like partsthroughout the'sev'eral views of the drawing.

Referring more particularlyto the drawing and'm'ore particularly to Figure 1, the reference numeral Sdesignates the frame of a machine, which supports a' table or platform '6'. upon which the crown block is adapted to rest. Mounted for sliding movement in the frame 5 are side bars 77. earryingon their upper endsabeam 8 and on their lower ends abeam 9. Afoot pedal 10 is pivotally mounted to thefraine 5 and is connected with the beam 9 by'ineans of a link 11, and springs 12 serve to hold the pedal 10 in an upward position; It will thus be seen that by pressing the foot pedal 10 the crossbar 8 willbe moved downwardly toward the platform 6. l his construction is all verv old in the art of hat iiialking and constitutesno part of myinvention but is merely shown to more clearly inns trate the'function of the same. "A lever 13 has also been shown and which is employed after the operation of the foot pedal, for obtaining a final movement of the beam 8.

The beam 8 supports a die-head 14in the nature ofa rubber sack containing a li uid, the same having secured thereto 'a screw threaded shank 15, for threaded engagement with the beam 8. A hand wheel 16 is provided on the free end of the shanklfi and by turning the same, the die headlat may be moved in either vertical direction. The beams is formed withi'a pair of arms 17, extending at right angle to the length of the beam, which arms receii e one end of a pair of rods 18, having screw threaded engagement with a brim die-plate 19. This die-plate 19 is rorided centrally thereof with an opening 20 for the passage of the die-head 14.

Supported by the platform 6 is a crown block 21 having a plurality of supporting legs 22, and a dome-shaped cavity 23. Disposed above the cavity is an annular channel 2 1, defined by a flange 25 for supporting a brim block 26. The bottom wall of the channel 24 is sloping and is formed at its juncture with the cavity 23, with a beveled stop flange 27, for aligning the walls of the brim block with those of the cavity. The brim block 26 comprises a pair of sections 28, each provided with a handle 29. and a lug 30 for locking engagement with a notch 31 in the flange 25 of the crown block, for preventing circumferential movement of the sections. The sections 28 are further providedwith sockets or recesses 32, for receiving pins 33 adapted to pass through the flange 25 for preventing removal of the sections from the crown block during the hat forming operation. Inserted within the cavity 23 and extending to the top of the brim is an elastic lining 3 1, whose outer walls conform to the shape of the crown and brim block, but whose inner walls may be of any suitable configuration,'such as a fanciful bell-crown as clearly shown in Figures 2 and 3 of the drawing. It will be seen that the lining 34 can be easily and quickly removed and a different style lining substituted therefor, as could also be the brim die-plate 19 and the brim block 26..

This structure permits of a permanent crown block which could be used in connection with various shape brim and crown dies, whereby different style hats may be formed.

In operation a layer of material 35 such as felt or strawis placed over the brim block 26 and is secured thereto by means of a string 36, passed around the periphery of the sections 28 of the brim block and tied at its ends. The pedal 10 is now depressed, which, through the action of certain parts, moves the brim die-plate 19 into pressing engagement with the brim block 26.

If desired the handle 13 may now be operated to obtain a greater pressing action, and at the same time the die-head 1 1 is moved into the cavity, after which the hand wheel is rotated to press the die-head thereby displacing the liquid therein to conform to the configuration of the inner walls of the lining, it being understood, that the material of the hat is interposed between the cliehead 14: and the inner walls of the lining 34;. This operation is clearly shown in Figure 3 of the drawing, and in Figure 5' there is shown a view of the hat after the same has been removed from the machine. The die-head 14 is filled with water, glycerine or any suitable liquid or equivalent substance which, generally speaking, is

permanently sealed in the head and which acts to retain the normal form of the head and permits the head to be deformed in,

conformation with the cavity of the crown block and for operative accommodating slight disposition of said liquid or substance during the pressing operation.

\Vhile there has been shown and described what I consider to be thebest embodiment of my invention, it is obvious that many of the details may be varied without in any way departing from the spirit of my invention, and I therefore do not limit myself to the exact details of construction herein set forth nor to anything less than the whole of my invention limited only by the appended claims. W hat is claimed as new is: 1. A hat pressing machine comprising a crown block having an elastic lining separable therefrom, a brim block associated with said crown'block, and a co-acting die- .head formed of elastic material adapted to be advanced against the walls of the linlng of the crown block, and to be brought into conformation therewith on movement of the die-head againstsaid crown block, and a brim die-plate associated with said die-head and adapted to co act with said brim block, the

-die-head being adjustable independently of the brim plate.

Hit)

2. A hat pressing'machine comprising a",

crown block having an elastic lining separable therefrom, a brim block associated with said crown block, and a' co-acting cliehead formed of elastic material adapted to be advanced against the walls of the lining of the crown block, and to be brought into conformation therewith on movementof the die-head against said crown block, and a brim die-plate associated with said die-head and adapted to co-act with said brim block, said brim block formed of two sections supported by the crown block and separable therefrom.

3. A hat pressing machine comprising a crown. block having an elastic lining separable therefrom, a brim block associated with said crownblock, and a co-acting diehead formed of elastic material adapted to be advanced against the walls of the lining of the crown block, and to be brought into 4. A hat pressing machine comprising a crown block, and means for extending the permanent crown block having a removable die-head against the lining of the crown elastic lining and a brim block associated block independently of the die-plate. 10 with said crown block and through which In testimony whereof I have aflixed my 5 the lining thereof is extended, and an elastic signature.

die-head provided with a brim die-plate, means for moving the die-head into the HUMBERT O. MARTIN. 

